The Britannia Times

Event Round Up From Cyclosport

Thanks to Cyclosport for a great round up of Eroica Britannia 2017. You can view the full article including the all important changes to The Ride for 2017 online HERE

Eroica Britannia, the award winning 3-day family Festival and the gruelling World famous Bike Ride has announced record breaking ticket sales, since going on sale on Wednesday 23rd November.

Places to join The Ride which is hosted on the 18th June 2017 have sold faster than ever from the UK, Europe and beyond and important milestones in Rider numbers have been smashed even in comparison to the sell-out Ride in 2016.

The event , which is heading into its fourth year announced a new location for the 16-18th June 2017 earlier this year, credits the new Festival site - which is on the lands surrounding Friden Grange for a spike in interest so early on for The Ride. Eroica Britannia comments

"we are taking a journey even deeper into The Great British Adventure for 2017. One of our main reasons for moving locations is the huge advantage of having The High Peak Trail running straight through our Festival. It allows us to explore the full range of territory of The Peak District, expand all 3 Ride routes and shine the spotlight of this global event onto new locations. The new location allows us to improve our Ride experience and raise the profile of lesser known villages. This extra scope is the reason we're offering guests a free night's camping on the 15th June to allow families and friends chance to really get involved and discover the area."

The Ride which is presented by Maserati, in 2016 saw 4,500 Riders on the startline including a record breaking 1000 plus women. The Ride has been experienced and endorsed by ex pro cyclist David Millar and Olympian Chris Boardman MBE who have documented their Ride Day Experience on the new Eroica Britannia website.

The 2017 change of location means new routes and a whole new territory of challenges. Known to be tough this is hard hill riding made all the more adventurous on your choice of pre-1987 road bike.

All routes will now leave and return to Friden Grange with huge leaving and welcome home parties planned for the returning 4,500 riders. Organisers will not be increasing Ride numbers for 2017 and have urged potential Riders to book early given demand.

New Cycling Features For The Festival

The 3-day family Festival, which attracted 40,000 visitors in 2016 will see an all new layout with additional features to further celebrate the freedom that cycling allows. A Glow Ride on the trails after dark, an all new Family Ride and a Festival area dedicated to the bike and inspiration cycling feats called The Inner Tube will feature over the 3 days. Festival favourite 'Best in Show' last year judged by BBC's Patrick Grant and Chris Boardman MBE will be a key Festival attraction on Saturday 17th.

First Time Headline Act To Feature

2017 sees the introduction of a Headline music act which will take to the main stage on Saturday 17th June. This is the first time a Headliner will feature at Eroica Britannia. Full details will be announced in January but organisers have given hints that it both cycling and era specific and local to the area.3-day Early Bird Festival Tickets (£20) have also peaked to top sales from this time last year and the introduction of 'The Grove' which is a boutique camping experience has already reached high numbers in the first few days.

An Important Economic Impact in the Local Area

Based on figures from an independent study conducted by Visit Peak District shows the strong economic impact that Eroica Britannia has in the local region. The study reveals a £3M spend in the area as a result of the event. Businesses taking part in the study have confirmed they were 41% busier than normal and 38% of businesses saw an increase in sales.

A post-event survey has confirmed 99% of people surveyed in 2015 and 2016 would recommend the Peak District and Derbyshire to friends and family.